Archie is a tool used to search FTP sites for particular software or filenames that will also search for keywords within filenames. Archie indexes millions of files from FTP sites worldwide. The Archie program relies on an Archie server and an Archie client. Your computer and browser are not able to interact with Archie; you must instead go to an Archie client and use its ArchiePlex form to search for a file or keyword(s) on an Archie server. See below, and we'll show you how.
When you click on an Archie site link, the address you clicked on appears in the Location bar and an ArchiePlex form displays, much like the one shown here. The form may vary in design from site to site, but the basic information you add to the form is the same.
Note: You may see some information about forms and simple ArchiePlex or the use of a non-form version of Archie. You don't have to worry about this; all current browsers uses forms.
Your next step is to complete the form. In its simplest use, this is typing in a filename or keyword you think may be in a filename and clicking on the Submit button. Note, you are not searching within files themselves. So if a keyword is within a file but not part of a filename, Archie is not going to find it. Remember, Archie produces an index of millions of filenames on Archie servers all over the world. A search is based entirely on a file's name.
Form Field Names and Entries
The ArchiePlex form's fields are explained below. Read through the field descriptions and options, then go to an ArchiePlex site and try using the form.
Search for:
Enter the filename, a portion thereof, or a keyword in the filename.
There are several types of search:
The different types of search are defined below, and each has advantages in certain situations. If you have more specific information about the files you are looking for, you can use more specific search types to find the files quickly. Choose one of the following options, based on the type of search restriction you want to apply.
Case Insensitive Substring Match: Usually the default and the best option to start with. Case is not considered with this option. Archie searches within filenames for whatever you type names as well as characters. This option may lengthen the time of your search, but you are more likely to find what you're looking for.
Exact Match: If you know the filename, type it in exactly as it appears. But remember, filenames may be different as a result of different people posting the file. Exact match includes capital and lower case letters.
Case Sensitive Substring Match: This is similar to Case Insensitive Substring Match, but case is considered with this option. If the filename you enter as all capital letters has been posted somewhere in lower case letters, the search will not find the filename in lower case letters.
Regular Expression Match: Skip this option unless you know how to use a UNIX regular expression. Using this option means Archie will regard some characters in what you enter as wild cards.
The results can be sorted ( ) By Host or ( ) By Date
The options available are described below, and will allow you to order your results to make the files you are searching for easier to locate.
By Host: Default. If you sort by host, the results will be alphabetically by host and directory (folder).
By Date: If you sort by date, the results will be by date. If version date is important, this is a better choice.
Several Archie servers can be used:
The list box which displays when you click on the down arrow icon gives you the choice of several hosts in the United States, several in the Far East (Asia) and several in western and eastern Europe. Choose one where the time is after regular working hours, and, presumably, network traffic is less.
You can restrict the results to a domain (e.g. "uk"):
You can restrict the search to a particular domain name . For example, by country you could enter "us" for the United States or "uk" for United Kingdom without the quote marks. By domain type within the United States, you could enter "com" for commercial sites, "edu" for educational sites, "gov" for government sites, and so forth, again, without the quote marks. Find a listing of the country codes or the type code to make sure you're entering the correct information.
Note: Keep in mind a narrower search will likely return results quicker.
You can restrict the number of results to a number 100:
Enter the number of results you want. This should be a number less than 100 and, again, if you are wanting results more quickly, a smaller number may be better. On the other hand, if you restrict the size too much, the results may not include newer versions of the file you are seeking or some other characteristic because of repeated identical filenames located at different sites.
The impact on other users can be:
The list box choices run from Not Nice At All to Nicest. Go with the default of Nice so as not to impact other users and still get some quick results.
Once you have entered your search information and set the options, click on the Submit button. The program will time out after about five minutes and return an error message if a search has not completed before that time.
If you don't get any results or the results you get are disappointing, try again. This time experiment with options.
